Retractable cord reels have been widely used in many applications, especially in telephonic applications. One type of cord reel includes a mechanism for automatically winding the cord. In this reel, the extended cord is constantly under tension. In other words, the user must exert some amount of force to prevent the cord from retracting onto the reel.
To facilitate the use of the cord, a latch mechanism has also been provided that can be operated to fix the cord in a desired, extended position. Typically, the latch mechanism includes a ratchet or pawl-type member that mechanically locks the cord in place after a user extends the cord to a desired position. To release the latch mechanism, the user applies a short pull on the cord. Thereafter the cord is free to retract onto the reel. A potential problem with this latch mechanism occurs where the cord is completely extended and latched in the completely-extended position. In that instance there is no available cord remaining on the reel to allow the user to apply the short pull to free the latch mechanism. The prior art has provided some solutions for this problem by disclosing various ways to prevent the latch mechanism from operating only over the last few inches of cord extraction.
After use of a cord in an extended position, the cord is normally stored on the reel. To do so, the user pulls on the cord and disengages the latch mechanism, thereby allowing the cord to retract onto the reel. Typically a free end of the cord is attached to an implement, a telephone handset, for example. While the cord is being wound onto the reel, the user also is attempting to store the implement in a desired storage location. For example, a telephone handset can be stored on a cradle. During retraction of the cord, the user guides the implement to its storage location. A hesitation in the movement of the retraction of the cord, or a slight extension of the cord, can trigger the latch mechanism, operating to latch the cord in place at an undesired time. When inadvertent latching occurs near the end of the act of storing the implement, a small amount of cord may remain extended even though the implement is in its stored location. This small amount of cord is unsightly and exposes the cord to damage.
This problem is particularly acute where the telephone is placed in a cradle found in a typical airplane setting. Because space is limited on an airplane, the handset is often stored in a receptacle mounted on a seatback of a chair. The receptacle is configured to closely conform to the handset. In the event that the user unintentionally triggers the latch mechanism leaving a small amount of the cord extended, the cord can prevent the handset from properly seating in the receptacle and the handset cannot be stored. In addition, the cord can be pinched between the handset and a wall of the receptacle, causing damage to the cord and wedging of the handset in the cradle.